Yellow Days was one of the main acts I wanted to catch at this year’s Treefort Music Fest and so I was determined to claim a spot on the rail of the Main Stage, which of course necessitated arriving the set before and—judging from what I was hearing all around me—Father John Misty, Treefort’s closing act, was not to be missed so I committed myself to hanging out all day at the Main Stage.
Michael, of course, couldn’t keep still. After a hectic (and loud!) four days of Treefort he found it lovely to begin Day 5 listening to the jazz and ambient-inflected soundscapes of singer-multi-instrumentalist Go Kurosawa, while lying on the lawn fronting the Gene Harris Bandshell in Julia Davis Park. Kurosawa-san and his touring band performed "Autowalk" from his 2025 LP “Soft Shakes.”
Michael joined me for the first few songs of The Womack Sisters who in varying designs of sensuous vermilion confirmed their claim of being a new generation of soul royalty, blending R&B, soul, and gospel influences drawn from their rich family legacy. As granddaughters of the legendary Sam Cooke, daughters of renowned soul and R&B artists Womack & Womack, nieces of Bobby Womack, and (by marriage) related to Mary Wells, The Womack Sisters ensorcelled their Main Stage audience with professions of love and unquestionable beauty. Their harmonies very much reminded Michael of the Hutchinson sisters (better known as The Emotions), whereas I took note that their performance at Treefort marked the beginning of an international and national tour with Treefort alumni Thee Sacred Souls and La Lom. Michael recorded them singing their 2025 single, "I Just Don't Want You (To Say Goodbye)" and I caught “All Around.”
Michael wandered around the corner of the Main Stage to the Hideout to sample New Zealand singer-songwriter Will Swinton who a mere year before was managing an Aukland trampoline park when Kelly Clarkson performed one of his songs on TV, prompting him to sell his car and buy a one-way ticket to L.A. A Capitol Records deal and 100 million global streams later, Swinton launched his latest single, "Better Off" at Treefort.
Meanwhile, having jockeyed into position center-stage on the rail I was hyped and ready for Yellow Days. Marcy Donelson has described British musician George van den Broek's vocals as "throaty, yearning" accompanying his "swimmy indie soul-pop" and the lustrous B&W videos promoting Yellow Days recent release "Rock and A Hard Place" confirm visually what we can hear clearly: a dynamite talent with a soulful fuse. I was amused watching George hydrate from a bottle of Kendall Jackson chardonnay, while smoking cigarettes, and with a backdrop of spermatazoa swimming on the big screen. My kind of guy!!
Amber Mark is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. Her multifaceted style implements sounds from hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul, and bossa nova. She released her first EP, “3:33am”, in May 2017, followed by her EP “Conexão” in 2018. Her debut album, “Three Dimensions Deep”, was released in January 2022. “Pretty Idea” followed as her sophomore album in October 2025. Her fluttering gossamer dress alone broadcast major sex appeal and her command of the stage all but guaranteed that her audience was fully under spell. I didn't know what to expect at all from Amber Mark but found myself dancing in place and having a good time with her cover of Toto’s “Georgy Porgy”.
Meanwhile, Michael was still at the Hideout Stage where he grooved to Melbourne, Australia's Belair Lip Bombs perform "Again and Again" (from their 2025 LP "Again"), with yet another quick dash to the Treefort Music Hall to hear Los Angeles duo Brijean (consisting of singer-songwriter/percussionist Brijean Murphy and multi-instrumentalist Doug Stuart) perform "Hey Boy" and “Counting Sheep.”
My experience of Treefort Music Fest 14 culminated in the Main Stage triumph of Father John Misty. It's hard for me now to believe that I had never heard of Father John Misty before he was announced on the Treefort line-up and I’m glad I listened to the intense anticipation of his performance such that I parked myself center rail at the Main Stage, insuring the best seat in the house. The effort was not disappointing. Handsome, hypnotic, with masculine restraint and an idiosyncratic delivery, Father John Misty wowed me and surfaced as my favorite act of the festival. A winning way to wrap it all up. Here are my clips of “Nancy From Now On” and “Goodbye, Mr. Blue” (which he amusingly dedicates to Colossal Collective’s wooly mammoth).
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